Series Premiere Date: September 17, 2025
Inside the world’s most prestigious culinary school, 21 of America’s hottest young chefs, under the age of 30, compete in a one-of-a-kind competition. The Culinary Institute of America has set a rigorous gauntlet of tests to find who is worthy of being crowned the leading chef of the next generation.
Hosted By: Olivia Culpo
Judges: Carlton McCoy & Kelsey Barnard Clark
Executive Producers: Dan Cutforth, Jane Lipsitz, Nan Strait, Dan Volpe, Pip Wells, and Tina Nicotera Bachmann for Alfred Street Industries; Michael Simkin, Erik Osterhol,m and Carrie Kaylor of Ultra Boom Media; LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Jamal Henderson and Philip Byron of Fulwell Entertainment; Dr. Tim Ryan of the Culinary Institute of America
Production Companies: Alfred Street Industries, UltraBoom Media, and Fulwell Entertainment
Format: Unscripted Series, 8×45-min episodes
Meet the Host & Judges
Olivia Culpo, Host (Restaurateur)
Carlton McCoy, Judge (Master Sommelier)
Kelsey Barnard Clark, Judge (Award Winning Chef, Entrepreneur & Author)
Meet the Guest Judges
*In order of appearance
Francis Lam, Food Writer & Critic
Chef Cat Cora, First Female Iron Chef
Chef Paul Carmichael, Executive Chef of Momofuku
Chef Susan Feniger, Chef & Restaurateur
Chef Dale Talde, Executive Chef & Author, James Beard Nominee
Christina Tosi, Milk Bar CEO
Chef Kwame Onwuachi, Executive Chef & Owner of Tatiana
Chef Daniel Boulud, World-Renowned French Chef
Chef Thomas Keller, Chef & Proprietor of Thomas Keller Restaurant Group
Chef Grant Achatz, Chef & Owner of Alinea Group
Chef Harold Dieterle, Chef & Founder of HD Hospitality
Chef Emma Bengtsson, Executive Chef of Aquavit
Chef Anne Burrell (in memoriam)
Dr. Tim Ryan, CIA President
